Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. This is equally true at all times, that the powers that exist, exist by the permission and providence of God. Brent Kercheville May 23, 2010 Click here to listen to this lesson. Hence Bishop Butler feels himself justified in taking the principles which regulate civil society as an analogy for those which will regulate the ultimate divine disposition of things. One of the crucial issues before the church in America today is: Shall we be American with a pinch of religious flavoring? '', "Heresy cries, bring a sacrifice to the idol; "Civil Power" cries, bring money, and gifts, and revenues, and tribute to the king. Whatever the circumstances of your life or the decisions made in the global corridors of earthly rule, God is firmly and eternally in control, both of your life and over the governments of the world, and He has scheduled a time when He will put all principalities and powers under His feet. The powers that be.—Those that we see existing all around us. Texts such as Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; and Titus 3:1 … For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. '', ""the horse leech hath two daughters, crying, give, give", Proverbs 30:15, it is asked, what is the meaning of give, give? The exceptions to this principle are few and far between. '', Nevertheless, they look upon civil government to be of divine appointment. The Believer's Civil Duty: The True Meaning of Romans 13 Romans 13 is widely used to deceive Christians into obeying unrighteous laws and giving support to tyrannical governments. He speaks of powers, in the plural number, because there are divers sorts and kinds thereof, as monarchy, aristocracy, democracy: under which soever of these we live, we must be subject thereunto. How far they should submit, if at all, to heathen magistrates, was a question of deep interest; and there was danger that the "Jewish" converts might prove to be disorderly and rebellious citizens of the empire. That which hath God for its author, is to be acknowledged and submitted to; but magistracy hath God for its author: ergo. 13:1-7 The grace of the gospel teaches us submission and quiet, where pride and the carnal mind only see causes for murmuring and discontent. Verse 1 reads, "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. Higher powers.—Authorities, i.e., magistrates, the abstract for the concrete. There are a number of reasons for this, including what appears to many as a \"crisis in character.\" In any event, this is, generally speaking, the situation. Romans 13:1-5 does not mean what the words say. The laws were made by pagans, and were adapted to the prevalence of paganism. Honour all men; love the brotherhood; fear God; honour the king.". Romans 13 means, "Remember them which have the rule over you," as you will also find at Hebrews 13:7. There is therefore a very strong onus probandi thrown upon the person who takes upon himself to overrule what is in itself a clear obligation. for there is no power but of God; God is the fountain of all power and authority; the streams of power among creatures flow from him; the power that man has over all the creatures, the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, and the fishes of the sea, is originally of God, and by a grant from him; the lesser powers, and the exercises of them, in the various relations men stand in to one another, are of God, as the power the husband has over the wife, parents over their children, and masters over their servants; and so the higher power that princes have over their subjects: for it is the God of heaven that sets up kings, as well as pulls them down; he is the King of kings, from whom they derive their power and authority, from whom they have the right of government, and all the qualifications for it; it is by him that kings reign, and princes decree justice. (5) there "were" cases where it was right to "resist" the laws. See on set under authority, Luke 7:8. NEVER!! Or: Shall we be Christ's people with a pinch of American flavoring? The former chapter is called by some St. Paul’s ethics, and this his politics. 3. Let every soul be subject to the supreme powers - … But this still leaves the question open, whether in any particular case tribute is rightfully due or not. Others think, that the apostle having spoken in several places concerning Christians’ liberty, lest what he had said should be misconstrued, as if he meant that Christians were freed from subjection to the powers that were over them, he seasonably insists upon the doctrine and duty of obedience to authority; which point is more fully handled in this context than in any other place besides. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. By higher powers, he means the supreme powers; so the word is rendered, 1 Peter 2:13. We sometimes feel that we are surrounded by evil leaders who seem to have an anti-God agenda and we find it difficult to understand why. Sometimes we can be tempted to wonder if God has lost the plot, as we see evil men triumphing, while the children of God are in the midst of distress, and we wonder if Satan is winning. there is no authority except that which God Himself has permitted, and the powers that exist do so by God's sovereign appointment. Any such seemingly direct collision of duties must be at the very lightest a most serious and difficult matter; and though the burden of deciding falls ultimately on the individual, still he must be careful to remember that his particular judgment is subject to that fallibility to which, all individual judgments are liable. There will always be a certain debatable ground within which opposite duties will seem to clash, and where general principles are no longer of any avail. No power - No office; no magistracy; no civil rule. They would regard all as opposed to God. Again, "says (u) Rabban Gamaliel, , "take heed of the power" (i.e. And yet as a general principle, the injunctions of the Apostle entirely hold good. but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God—"have been ordained of God. ... Romans 13:1(WBS) Verse Thoughts. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God. So in Luke 12:11, Christ tells his disciples, they should be brought before magistrates and powers; it is the same word, and it is plain he means persons in power. Since Paul was addressing the saints at Rome, it is logical that he would instruct them to submit to those who look after their souls . that is, with a magistrate, which oftentimes is dangerous. It is a reminder to be obedient to the … To them, and to those that are authorized by them, we must submit, for that is all one as if we did it to themselves, 1 Timothy 2:2 1 Peter 2:14. Jesus had every right to rebel. It is another thing to say that in a certain given case such conflict has arisen, and that the duty which commends itself to the individual is the higher of the two. Daniel knew life as an exile. Romans 13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the {powers} that be are ordained of God. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Same Subject Continued—Political and Social Relations—Motives. It is quite probable, however, that the main danger was, that the early Christians would err in "refusing" submission, even when it was proper, rather than in undue conformity to idolatrous rites and ceremonies. He wished to purify and to spiritualise their conception of the “Kingdom of Heaven,” which He came to found. Nowhere is this point truer than Romans 13:1-7. There is no power.—It is strange that the Apostle seems to go almost out of his way to include even usurped and tyrannical power. (B)The authorities that exist have been established by God. Their religious hopes took a political form. the duty of Christians towards the civil government and the laws of the country in which they lived. Yet the Jews had long been under Roman oppression, and had borne the foreign yoke with great uneasiness. If the Christian is not to seek personal vengeance, it does not take away the government’s authority to punish wrongdoers. (4) nor was the case much different with the "Gentile" converts. When the laws interfered with the rights of conscience; when they commanded the worship of idols, or any moral wrong, then it was their duty to refuse submission. Christians professed supreme allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ; he was their Lawgiver, their Sovereign, their Judge. be subject unto the higher powers—or, "submit himself to the authorities that are above him.". We live in a generation in which public opinion of those in political leadership is probably at an all time low. The dominion of the Messiah was to be not a spiritual, but a literal dominion, in which they, as a people, were to share. Yet in what cases this was to be done, where the line was to be drawn, was a question of deep importance, and one which was not easily settled. Are there times when a Christian should disobey government? 3. Commentary on Romans 13:1-7 (Read Romans 13:1-7) The grace of the gospel teaches us submission and quiet, where pride and the carnal mind only see causes for murmuring and discontent. Romans 13:1-7 doesn’t give license to participate or support earthly governments by using the same methods that these governments do. For such is the will of God.. that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. every person. The authorities that exist have been established by God. The gloss on it is, magistrates, because they set their eyes upon rich men to kill them, and take away their substance. It undoubtedly here refers to the Roman magistracy, and has relation not so much to the rulers as to the supreme "authority" which was established as the constitution of government; compare Matthew 10:1; Matthew 28:18. In the first verse of the foregoing chapter the body was put for the whole man; here, the soul; and when he says every person, it is plain that ecclesiastical persons are not exempted. Setting aside the hypocrisy of … They would naturally look with abhorrence on the system of idolatry which they had just forsaken. Lit., the existing. This the Christian religion clearly taught; and in cases like these, it was indispensable for Christians to take a stand. Romans 12 Romans 14 Chapter 13. The word used here does not designate the "extent" of the submission, but merely enjoins it in general. But supposing the magistrate calls upon the subject to do that which some other authority co-ordinate with that of the magistrate forbids—supposing, for instance, as in the case of Hampden, under a constitutional monarchy, the king commands one thing, and the Parliament another—there is clearly a conflict of obligations, and the decision which accepts the one obligation is not necessarily wrong because it ignores the other. Such interpretations, however, actually contradict Scripture. Doubtless, he here intends also to repress the vain curiosity and agitation with which men are prone to inquire into the "titles" of their rulers; to guard them from the agitation and conflicts of party, and of contentions to establish a favorite on the throne. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid 50s AD, with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. Whether Christians were to acknowledge the laws of such kingdoms and of such men, was a serious question, and one which could not but occur very early. This passage has been used to tell people they always have to obey the government. It would occur also very soon, in circumstances that would be very affecting and trying. In Romans 13:6, 7, the terms that designate types of “tax” were common in the Greco-Roman world, but their precise meaning is not known today. “It is very biblical to enforce the law.” – Sarah Sanders Romans 13 is in the news, and is being abused by the White House to enforce an unjust law. And, lastly, He finally submitted to the civil power, as the instrument divinely employed to inflict upon Him those sufferings which were to be the cause of our redemption. On another occasion, when a question was asked as to the legitimacy of the Roman tribute, He replied in words already quoted, “Render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and to God the things which are God’s.” And, lastly, when appeal was made to Him to settle a disputed inheritance, He refused, saying to His petitioner, “Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?” Here we have really the key to the whole question. The very mention of the Messiah would tend to fan their smouldering passions into flame. From exhorting the believers at Rome to a life of entire devotedness to God, and the various duties of brotherly kindness, the apostle now proceeds to inculcate upon them that subjection and obedience which they owed to their civil rulers, and those duties of justice and benevolence which were due from them to all men. We sometimes feel that we are surrounded by evil leaders who seem to have an anti-God agenda and we find it difficult to understand why. Moreover, after this manner they explain (w) Proverbs 5:8, ""remove thy way far from her", this is heresy; "and come not nigh the door of her house", , "this is the power". This clause is attested and illustrated by Proverbs 8:15 Daniel 4:32 John 19:11. Romans 13:1–7 describes the responsibility for Christians to live in submission to the human authorities in government. Not only so, but when resistance was made on His behalf, He rebuked the disciple who had drawn the sword for Him. Romans 13 . A great example of this was the prophet Daniel. It’s no wonder non-Christians are fed up with Christians using the Bible to justify any political power play. Romans 13 means, "Remember them which have the rule over you," as you will also find at Hebrews 13:7. What does this verse really mean? We must always remember that the power of every government, whether good or ill, is delegated authority from heaven, and the Lord will often use the effectual fervent prayers of His committed saints to accomplish His plans and purposes, through the good or evil choices of human rule. Perfect tense: Have been ordained, and the ordinance remains in force. Devotional Questions – Romans 13:1-14 1. Or if he was not wrong—and the verdict of mankind has generally justified his act—what are we to think of the language that is here used by St. Paul? In Romans 13, the first thing he says is, we are to submit to government. What does romans 13:1 - 2 mean? In either case a great responsibility is assumed, and it is especially desirable that the judgment of the individual should be fortified by the consent of others, if possible by the suffrages of the majority of those who are in a position to judge. (3) Another argument of great force: because God is author of this order: so that those who are rebels ought to know that they make war with God himself: and because of this they purchase for themselves great misery and calamity. he who resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And no matter what righteous or ungodly decisions are made in the elected establishment or any unelected shadow administration, God remains in sovereign control, and will only permit men to achieve their objective, when it forwards His perfect plans and purposes in His redemptive programme.Â. 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